A democracy is a type of government which is run with the input of the people, directly or indirectly. It contrasts with other types of government, such as a dictatorship or a classical monarchy, which are run by individuals or small groups of high ranking people. Many governments around the world have adopted the democracy as a form of government in varying forms, and most of these governments are representative democracies, as opposed to direct or pure democracies modeled after the Athenian government in Ancient Greece.

In a representative democracy, a group of people is established as eligible voters. In the United States, for example, citizens over 18 without felony convictions may vote. These citizens vote for representatives, such as Congresspeople, Senators, and local officials. When elected, a representative agrees to serve the interest of his or her constituency, regardless as to party affiliation, age, race, or gender. The representative travels to the State or National capitol to make laws and assist with the running of the government. Often, a representative must balance warring interests in his or her community, and hopes to satisfy most, but not all, of the constituents.

To help serve the needs of their constituency, representatives maintain regional offices so that their voters can communicate with them. Individual voters often contact their representatives to encourage them to vote one way or another on a bill, or to push through a piece of legislation. Some of these measures are also voted on directly by the voters, in the form of propositions on the ballot. In addition, many representative democracies also permit referendums, legislation proposed directly by the people. If citizens can get enough signatures on a referendum to indicate public interest, it will be placed on the ballot during election season.

In a direct democracy, every citizen plays an active role in the governance of the nation. In order for a direct democracy to be successful, it must be in a relatively small, localized region. This is because large numbers of eligible citizens would quickly clog the workings of the government, sparking endless debates and votes but never actually achieving anything. Citizens must also have an active interest in the success of their governments.

A nationwide direct democracy would be difficult to manage in the modern era. However, many small towns within representative democracies use a form of direct democracy at their town meetings. Allowing each citizen on the town level a vote and a role in the government is believed to lead to a more active, caring, and interconnected community. The direct democracy model also allows citizens to prioritize what is important to them as a group, rather than relying on a team of representatives to address their issues. For example, a small town which uses a direct democracy model may have better funding for schools and libraries than a neighboring town with better roads, because the citizens have decided as a group that education should be a priority for the town, even at the cost of transportation.